Beauty of Colorado

I spent this past week in southern Colorado, in a charming town called Cuchara. Even though it has a long-closed ski resort that needs revival, the natural beauty of the town, locals and nearby drives were breathtaking. The high altitude of the area allowed for a cooler summer, colorful vegetation (some I posted in the "show flowers" section) and a much needed respite from the Arizona summer heat. I was also fortunate enough to have escaped that massive sandstorm that passed by here while I was away...

I hope that these photos enable you to enjoy the spectacular beauty that I encountered this past week.

The Aspen grove takes my breath away - but so does your final valley view - wow! How wonderful that you could bring your dogs - which probably sounds silly for me to even say but there are so many places in the populated northeast that dogs can't go and certainly cannot be off leash.

Wonderful to see these, Stan - and you've been missed but now I know where you've been.

Thanks for all the nice comments! Those areas are truly hidden gems, much of which are still unchanged by man. And yes, most are very dog-friendly (as long as they are under voice control to avoid unpredictable encounters with the wildlife... deer, elk, black bears, etc). Even the local towns and folk seem to emanate the beauty and serenity of where they live. During the past few years of travel there we've formed close friendships with the same group friends who return summer after summer, all from different parts of the Midwest and Southwest. There are no doubt many other beautiful areas of Colorado to enjoy, but because of the long-closed ski resort, the Cuchara area maintains a less "touristy" feel and continues to be quite an affordable summer retreat. I plan to head back again in a few weeks...

Hello all! I have just returned from another rejuvenating trip to Cuchara, Colorado. This time we took some nearby excursions that were firsts for me. I'd like to share some more of the local beauty that I hope you'll enjoy...

A view of the West Spanish Peak during a hike<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sho94118/6039935141/" title="Nature's Doorway by AZK9lover11, on Flickr">"446" height="640" alt="Nature's Doorway"></a>

Finally at the top! 12,600 ft on the GPS, with breathtaking views of the San Luis Valley and Mt. Blanca
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sho94118/6040485564/" title="Trinchera Peak by AZK9lover11, on Flickr">"1024" height="768" alt="Trinchera Peak"></a>

On my drive back to AZ, I witnessed an extraordinary sunrise, with the sunlight illuminating the radial dike rock formations and the dissipating clouds reflecting on North Lake- what a departing image to remember!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sho94118/6039858265/" title="Dawn at North Lake by AZK9lover11, on Flickr">"640" height="486" alt="Dawn at North Lake"></a>

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sho94118/6040407924/" title="Dawn at North Lake by AZK9lover11, on Flickr">"1024" height="742" alt="Dawn at North Lake"></a>